Vending rack assembly



June 19, 1962 K. PICKERING VENDING RACK ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 27, 1958 /0Z Mil W s R. w m 0 G N T m R N R M O W E T m w n K A W W M B 4 m w a m w\% 4 7 A F v 2 6 V '2 WMJ 6 6 v/\6 I k une 19, 19 L. K. PICKERING 3,039,653

VENDING RACK ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I r 88 s 56 88 /36 BY W A M M WW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofihce 3,039,653 Patented June 19, 1962 3,039,653 VENDING RACK ASSEMBLY Lenox K. Pickering, Port Washington, N.Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Seeburg Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,923 4 Claims. ((31. 221-433) This invention relates to vendors for bottle goods and, more particularly, to a bottle support structure for such vendors.

An object of this invention is to modify the horizontal type bottle vendor to guarantee a certain percentage of the vend capacity of such vendors to be restricted to a particular bottled product.

Another object is a vending rack structure for bottle vendors which discriminate against bottles of other than a predetermined type as well as affording display of bottles of this type when mounted by the rack structure.

Still another object is to provide bottle discriminating vending racks having bottle neck and waist retaining elements affording superior product display and discrimination.

A further object is to provide a vendor having a vending rack structure for bottles, having a reduced neck and nipped-in waist which will embrace the neck and waist of the bottles along predetermined lengths of travel of the bottles between the loading end and bottle escapement of the vendor.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vendor with the cabinet top in an open position to facilitate the illustration of interiorly mounted vending racks fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of these vending racks disassociated from their vendor cabinet;

FIG. 3 is 'a top plan view of these racks;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 with certain parts broken away and removed;

FIG. 4A is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a further embodiment of waist retaining racks;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the bottle neck retaining racks on the discriminating side of the vending racks and their association with a certain type of bottle;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the association of the waist retaining racks with this bottle;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a ratcheted star wheel assembly for preventing a customer from obtaining free bottles without passing through the coin released bottle discharge gate of a bottle vendor;

FIG. 8 is a bottom elevational view of this ratcheted star wheel assembly.

In FIG. 1 the illustrated horizontal type vendor 10 comprises the usual cabinet 12 having a hinged top 14 pivotal about a horizontal axis from a horizontal normally closed position.

It should be understood that the vendor 10 will house a conventional refrigeration system (not shown) within the lower part of the cabinet 12. In this connection, the side panels of the cabinet 12 may include suitable louvered openings or venting screens (not shown) for cooperating to enhance the desired air circulation and, consequently, refrigeration of the interior of cabinet 12 by the refrigeration system.

The interior walls of cabinet 12 properly mount a vend- ;ing rack structure 16 for receiving and conveniently loading within the cabinet 12 a series of bottles to be vended through a conventional coin released bottle discharge gate mechanism located in the area indicated at 18. As will be appreciated by those familiar with such machines, bottles are usually loaded through a pivotal door (not shown) in the side panel of cabinet 12 distal the coin released mechanism :at 18 to be ultimately retained for slidab-le dis-placement, prior to dispensing, by the vending rack structure 16.

When a customer desires to purchase a selected beverage, he will first insert the required coin in the coin mechanism 18. An accepted coin strikes a vend switch which, in one form of commercial vendor, will operate a solenoid to release a catch thereby permitting the selectedbottle to be pulled through the pivoted gates of the coin released mechanism at 18. The gates are advantageously disposed on each side of the illustrated short slot and are releasably pivoted to open upwardly when a bottle is pulled vertically by its neck.

As mentioned in the foregoing, a principal object of this invention is to insure that a certain percentage of the vend capacity of the vendor 10 will contain only bottles of a particular manufacturer having a predetermined bottle package. For purposes of disclosing this invention, it will be assumed that a bottle package presents the configuration and router cont-ours represented by bottle 20, which is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. This bottle 20 will include a reduced neck portion 22 terminating in a relatively enlarged head 24. The base portion 26 of the bottle 20 will extend from a nipped-in waist portion 28. Furthermore, it will be assumed that approximately 50% of the interior of cabinet 12 will be restricted to bottles of the type indicated by the numeral 20. in this connection, the remaining vend capacity afforded by vending racks 16 will be satisfied by practically any kind of soft drink bottles with the standard reduced neck and enlarged head for receiving the usual bottle cap.

This non-discriminating rack sector accordingly will include a plurality of spaced and parallel conventional neck retaining or embracing racks 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38. These neck retaining racks are united and secured in the desired spaced apart relationship by means of the transversely extending cross bars 40, 42 and 44, as for example by welding or riveting. As illustrated, the cross bars 40, 42 and 44 are formed with a plurality of slotted openings 46 registering with the space between the adjacent neck retaining racks to thereby permit the enlarged head and mounted cap of the retained bottles to pass freely along these racks and not encounter any structural obstruction.

The neck retaining rack 30 is so constructed and arranged that it will be adjacent the interior of the rear wall of the cabinet 12 when the vending racks 16 are positioned within the vendor 10. This neck retaining rack 30 simulates an angle bar or beam and includes a downwardly extending diagonal flange 47 from the longitudinally extending bottle neck embracing corner 48.

The neck retaining racks '32, 34 and 36 are substantially identical and include a pair of converging depending flanges 50 and 52 extending from corners 54 and 56, respectively, which are similarly adapted to embrace the reduced neck port-ion of the mounted bottles.

The neck retaining rack 38 includes a vertical leg 58 and a downwardly projecting diagonally extending flange 69 from the bottle neck engaging corner 62. A panel 64 is suitably attached to the neck retaining rack 38, as for example by riveting or welding, and functions to segregate the discriminating sector of vending racks 16 from the non-discriminating part.

Referring now to the discriminating sector of the vending racks 16, it will be observed that a base plate 66 is anchored to the panel 64 through the laterally extending flange 68 which projects transversely from the panel 64; Bottle waist retaining or embracing racks 70, 72, 74 land 76, which may be of substantially identical construction and configuration, are advantageously mounted upon base plate 66. These racks may be formed from a pair of panels 77 and 78 which have, respectively, flanges 79 and 80 for resting upon the upper face of base plate 66, upstanding legs 82 and 84 extending from these flanges 78 and 80, and divergent bottle waist retaining sectors 86 and 88 which extend from the upstanding legs 82 and 84 into upstanding legs 90 and 92. These waist retaining racks extend for approximately the same length as the aforedescriibed non-discriminating neck retaining racks and terminate adjacent the coin released bottle discharge gate mechanism 18.

The panel 64 includes a longitudinally extending bar 93 which cooperates with the bulged out sector 86 of the waist retaining rack 70 in embracing interposed bottles having the configuration resembling that of bottle 20.

In FIG. 4A a further embodiment of these Waist retaining racks is illustrated. Thus, the waist retaining racks 70, 72, 74 and 76 in accordance with this version will be comprised essentially of elongated rods of proper diameter suitably located above and aflixed to plate 66.

Another series of neck retaining or embracing racks 94, 96, 98, 100 and 102 are securely mounted by an extension of the cross bar 40 substantially as shown. The racks of this series are much shorter than those of the series 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38, extending only a short distance inwardly from the vending station.

Neck retaining rack 94 may be an integral part of the neck retaining rack 38 andincludes a diagonally extending flange 104 depending from the bottle neck embracing zone 106.

The neck retaining racks 96, 98 and 100, on the other hand, are substantially identical and include a pair of converging depending flanges 108 and 110 which cooperate to form bottle embracing corners 112 and 114, respectively.

The neck retaining rack 102 is substantially similar to the neck retaining rack 30, but is appreciably reduced in length, and accordingly includes the vertical leg 116 which is adapted to be positioned adjacent the interior face of the front panel of cabinet 12. This neck retaining rack 102 additionally includes a bottle neck retaining corner 118 from which extends depending diagonal flange 120. The neck retaining racks 96, 98, 100 and 102 have anchored thereto vertical plates 122, 124, 126 and 128, respectively. These plates 122, 124, 126 and 128 are of sufficient length to be suitably secured to their associated waist retaining racks 70, 72, 74 and 76, respectively. Thus, means are provided for preventing free bottling of a horizontally positioned bottle between the neck and waist embracing racks after it has passed through vending racks 16 without encountering the coin released mechanism 18.

A ratcheted star wheel assembly 130 is associated with each one of the reduced neck retaining racks 96, 98, 100 and 102 for the purpose of engaging the shoulder adjacent the neck of the bottle 20. This assembly 130 prevents a customer from obtaining free bottles by first moving a bottle to the discharge end of the reduced neck retaining racks on the discriminating side of vendor 10, then tipping up the base 26 of the bottle 20 above the narrowed part of the space between the associated waist retaining racks as the bottle 20 is pulled back and out of its associated neck retaining racks. The ratcheted star Wheel assembly allows bottles to be pulled through the reduced neck retaining racks but prevents the reverse motion. This ratcheted star wheel assembly 130, as shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8, includes a channel member 132 secured to the interior of the reduced neck retaining racks in a manner substantially as illustrated. A ratchet housing 134 is secured to the channel member 132 by means of a series of bolts 136. A ratchet wheel 138 and star wheel 140 are rotatably mounted by means of pin 142. A ratchet panel 142 is located partly within the ratchet housing 134 and is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 138 so that, as Viewed in FIG. 8, the star wheel 140 will be permitted full clockwise rotation but will be prevented from rotating in the opposite direction.

Thus, it will be apparent that in loading the discriminating side of the vendor 10, the bottles 20 are initially slid between the waist retaining racks. Eventually these bottles, when nearing the discharge end of the vendor 10, are embraced by the neck retaining racks. Bottles having a length greater than the preselected bottle 20 obviously cannot be dispensed by sliding through the combination of neck and waist retaining racks. On the other hand, bottles that are somewhat shorter than bottle 20 will either cause vendor malfunctioning in some instances or improper bottle sliding to the vendor trap 18. Bottles without a nipped-in waist portion will not be permitted access by the waist retaining racks. Accordingly, the vendor 10 is so constructed that a certain large percentage of its capacity can accommodate only bottles having the particular size and configuration of bottle 20, thus practically assuring the manufacturer of the beverage so packaged that the vendor will be devoted in large part to the dispensing of his product.

Thus, it should be clear that the aforementioned objects and advantages, among others, are most eifectively obtained. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein.

I claim:

1. A vending rack assembly for use in a coin-controlled bottle vendor comprising: a freely-openable refrigeration cabinet providing walls of said assembly; a bottle rack structure in said cabinet comprising two sectors, the first for bottles of miscellaneous type and the second for bottles of a particular size and body configuration only; said first sector comprising a series of bottle neck-retaining racks into Which bottles may be loaded at one end and through which they may be slid tothe other end for delivery from the vendor; said second sector being positioned adjacent said first sector and comprising a series of bottle body-retaining racks so formed as to receive only bottles of said particular size and body configuration, whereby said second sector discriminates against other types of bottles and assures that a predetermined part of the vendor will be restricted to bottles of said particular size and body configuration, said bodyretaining racks being so constructed and positioned in the cabinet that a view of the upper parts of the bodies of the bottles retained therein will not be obscured thereby; said second rack sector also including a series of short bottle neck-retaining racks near the delivery end of said rack sectors through which the necks of said bottles of particular size and configuration must pass while the bodies thereof are engaged by said body-retaining racks; the relative lengths of said body-retaining racks and said neck-retaining racks of said second sector being such that throughout the major part of the length of the rack structure the bottles in'such sector are engaged by the body-retaining racks only and are thus on clear display to customers when said cabinet is open; and both said rack sectors being so constructed that bottles may be removed therefrom by a customer only at the delivery end thereof after passing completely therethrough in normal disposition with respect thereto.

2. A vending rack assembly for use in a coin-controlled bottle vendor comprising: a freely-opena'ble refrigeration cabinet providing walls of said assembly; a bottle rack structure in said cabinet comprising two sectors, the first for bottles of miscellaneous type and the second for bottles of a particular size and 'body configuration only; said first sector comprising a series of bottle neck-retaining racks into which bottles may be loaded at one end and through which they may be slid to the other end for delivery from the vendor; said second sector being positioned adjacent said first sector and comprising a series of bottle body-retaining racks so formed as to receive only bottles of said particular size and body configuration including a nipped-in waist portion, whereby said second sector discriminates against other types of bottles and assures that a predetermined part of the vendor will be restricted to bottles of said particular size and body configuration, said body-retaining racks having portions adapted to extend into said nipped-in waist portions of said bottles and being so constructed and positioned in the cabinet that a view of the upper parts of the bodies of the bottles retained therein will not be obscured thereby; said second rack sector also including a series of short bottle neck-retaining racks near the delivery end of said rack sectors through which the necks of said bottles of particular size and configuration must pass while the bodies thereof are engaged by said bodyretaining racks; the relative lengths of said bodyretaining racks and said neck-retaining racks of said second sector being such that throughout the major part of the length of the rack structure the bottles in such sector are engaged by the body-retaining racks only and are thus on clear display to customers when said cabinet is open; and both said rack sectors being so constructed that bottles may be removed therefrom by a customer only at the delivery end thereof after passing completely therethrough in normal disposition with respect thereto.

3. A vending rack assembly for use in a coin-controlled bottle vendor comprising: a freely-'openable refrigeration cabinet providing walls of said assembly; a bottle rack structure in said cabinet comprising two sectors, the first for bottles of miscellaneous type and the second for bottles of a particular size and body configuration only; said first sector comprising a series of bottle neck-retaining racks into which bottles may be loaded at one end and through which they may be slid to the other end for delivery from the vendor; said second sector being positioned adjacent said first sector and comprising a series of bottle body-retaining racks so formed as to receive only bottles of said particular size and body configuration, whereby said second sector discriminates against other types of bottles and assures that a predetermined part of the vendor will be restricted to bottles of said particular size and body configuration, said bodyretaining racks being so constructed and positioned in the cabinet that a view of the upper parts of the bodies of the bottles retained therein will not be obscured thereby; said second rack sector also including a series of short bottle neck-retaining racks near the delivery end of said rack sectors through which the necks of said bottles of particular size and configuration must pass while the bodies thereof are engaged by said body-retaining racks; the relative lengths of said body-retaining racks and said neck-retaining racks of said second sector being such that throughout the major part of the length of the rack structure the bottles in such sector are engaged by the bodyretaining racks only and are thus on clear display to customers when said cabinet is open; both said rack sectors being so constructed that bottles may be removed therefrom by a customer only at the delivery end thereof after passing completely therethrough in normal disposition with respect thereto; and vertical plates extending between said necksretaining racks of said second sector and the portions of the body-retaining racks immediately therebeneath.

4. A vending rack assembly for use in a coin-controlled bottle vendor comprising: a freely-openable refrigeration cabinet providing walls of said assembly; a bottle rack structure in said cabinet comprising two sectors, the first for bottles of miscellaneous type and the second for bottles of a particular size and body configuration only; said first sector comprising a series of bottle neck-retaining racks into which bottles may be loaded at one end and through which they may be slid to the other end for delivery from the vendor; said second sector being positioned adjacent said first sector and comprising a series of bottle body-retaining racks so formed as to receive only bottles of said particular size and body configuration, whereby said second sector discriminates against other types of bottles and assures that a predetermined part of the vendor will be restricted to bottles of said particular size and body configuration, said bodyretaining racks being so constructed and positioned in the cabinet that a view of the upper parts of the bodies of the bottles retained therein will not be obscured thereby; said second rack sector also including a series of short bottle neck-retaining racks near the delivery end of said rack sectors through which the necks of said bottles of particular size and configuration must pass while the bodies thereof are engaged by said body-retaining racks; the relative lengths of said body-retaining racks and said neck-retaining racks of said second sector being such that throughout the major part of the length of the rack structure the bottles in such sector are engaged by the body-retaining racks only and are thus on clear display to customers when said cabinet is open; both said rack sectors being so constructed that bottles may be removed therefrom by a customer only at the delivery end thereof after passing completely therethrough in normal disposition with respect thereto; and a plurality of ratcheted star wheel assemblies, one for each of the combined neck and body retaining racks of said second sector, whereby bottles may pass freely therethrough in forward but not in reverse direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,619,999 Wright Mar. 8, 1927 1,695,256 Miller Dec. 11, 1928 7 2,332,214 'Forsthoefel et al. Oct. 19, 1943 2,661,992 Harris Dec. 8, 1953 2,756,570 Gale July 31, 1956 2,765,103 Fousbee Oct. 2, 1956 

